How to Look Up Eviction Records in New Mexico 2026
Court portal, certified copy fees, and expungement laws for New Mexico
Where to Search New Mexico Eviction Records
Online portal: County-level (search your county court clerk's website)
Certified copy fee: $0.50/page
In New Mexico, an eviction record lives wherever the case was filed: most landlord-tenant cases run through Magistrate Court, while some land in District Court. There is no statewide eviction-records portal in New Mexico, so a record is not searchable from one central website. Instead, you look it up at the county court clerk where the property sits, and access varies meaningfully from one county to the next.
That county-by-county structure shapes everything about a search here. Some clerks offer terminal or online lookup; others require an in-person or phone request. Certified copies cost $0.50 per page. And because New Mexico has no statutory right to expunge or seal an eviction record, an old filing can linger in court indexes and on tenant screening reports for years. The sections below walk through how to find a record, how to read what you pull, and what both landlords and tenants need to weigh before acting on it.
How to look up a New Mexico eviction record
Start with the right court. Residential eviction (called an "owner-tenant" or unlawful-detainer action) is usually filed in Magistrate Court in the county where the rental property is located; larger or appealed matters may sit in District Court. Because there is no statewide portal, the practical path is to contact the county court clerk for that county directly.
Ask the clerk three things: whether they offer a public access terminal or online case search, what they need to run a name search (full legal name and any aliases help), and how to order copies. To pull a specific case you generally need the party names or a case number. If a county does maintain an online index, treat it as a starting point and confirm the disposition against the clerk's official file. Certified copies of any document run $0.50 per page.
Reading the result: a filing is not a judgment
The single most common mistake is treating any court entry as proof a tenant was evicted. A filing is not a judgment. When a case is opened, the index shows the complaint was filed, it does not say who won. Look for the disposition: the case may have been dismissed, settled, decided for the tenant, or decided for the landlord with a writ of restitution issued.
Read the docket in order. A complaint, a hearing date, and a final order each tell a different part of the story, and a case that was dismissed or resolved in the tenant's favor carries very different weight than one that ended in a judgment for possession. If the entry is ambiguous, request the file or a certified copy from the county court clerk rather than guessing. In a no-portal state, the clerk's record is the authoritative version, not a third-party aggregator's summary.
Expungement and sealing: what landlords must know
The expungement reality in New Mexico is blunt: there is no statutory right to expunge or seal an eviction record. Unlike states with a defined sealing process, New Mexico does not give tenants a clear statutory path to wipe an eviction filing from court indexes, so records can remain visible long after the dispute ends.
That puts the burden on landlords to screen responsibly. The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) governs how tenant screening reports may be used and generally limits how long older non-conviction court items appear, so a stale record may drop off a commercial report even though the court file itself persists. Verify what you see, apply consistent criteria to every applicant, and do not base a denial on a bare filing or an unverified record. For context, the statewide average rent is roughly $925, so a single disputed deposit or month can generate a filing that never became a judgment, judge the disposition, not the headline.
The tenant's side: limiting the damage
Because New Mexico offers no eviction-record expungement statute, a tenant cannot rely on a sealing process to clear a case. The most effective steps are practical. First, confirm exactly what the county court clerk file shows; if it lists a dismissal, a settlement, or a ruling in your favor, make sure that disposition is recorded accurately, and request a certified copy at $0.50 per page to carry to future applications.
Second, address screening reports separately from the court file. Under the FCRA you can dispute inaccurate or outdated entries with the tenant screening company directly, and you are entitled to know which report drove an adverse decision. Keeping your own copy of the final order, especially one that did not end in a judgment for possession, is often the strongest tool a New Mexico tenant has, since the underlying court record itself will not disappear on its own.
Step-by-Step: How to Search New Mexico Eviction Records
- Identify the county court. Find the Magistrate Court or District Court website for the county where the property is located.
- Search by party name. Enter the prospective tenant's full legal name (last name, first name) as a defendant/respondent. Try name variations including maiden names.
- Filter by case type. Select eviction, forcible detainer, unlawful detainer, or summary possession as the case type depending on the court's terminology.
- Review the disposition. Identify whether the case resulted in a judgment for the landlord (eviction), dismissal (tenant won or case settled), or is still pending. A filing alone does not mean the tenant was evicted.
- Check the filing date. Consider how old the record is, most tenant-screening best practices recommend discounting records older than 5-7 years.
- Request certified copies if needed. For a certified copy of the court record, contact the Magistrate Court or District Court clerk's office directly. Fees are typically $0.50/page.
This guide was compiled by the Eviction Risk Map research team using public information from the New Mexico court system, where eviction cases are heard in Magistrate Court or District Court and records are maintained county-by-county by the local court clerk; New Mexico has no statutory eviction-record expungement provision. Court access policies and fees vary by county and can change, so confirm details with the relevant clerk. Last reviewed June 2026. This page is informational and is not legal advice; consult a licensed New Mexico attorney for guidance on your situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up an eviction record in New Mexico?
Identify the county where the rental is located, then contact that county's court clerk. New Mexico eviction cases are filed in Magistrate Court or District Court, and there is no statewide portal, so searches are done county-by-county. Ask the clerk whether they offer a public terminal or online case search and what they need to run a name search; you can typically search by party name or case number and order certified copies at $0.50 per page.
Are New Mexico eviction records public?
Yes. Eviction cases filed in New Mexico's Magistrate Court or District Court are court records and are generally available to the public through the relevant county court clerk. Because there is no statewide portal, how you access them depends on the county, some offer online or terminal lookup, others require a phone or in-person request. Remember that a public filing only shows a case was opened; check the disposition to learn how it ended.
Can a tenant expunge an eviction record in New Mexico?
No. New Mexico has no statutory right to expunge or seal an eviction record, so there is no defined process to remove an eviction case from the court index. A tenant's best options are to confirm the court file accurately reflects the outcome (a dismissal or a ruling in the tenant's favor), keep a certified copy of the final order, and dispute any inaccurate or outdated entries on tenant screening reports under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.
How much does a certified copy of a New Mexico eviction record cost?
Certified copies of New Mexico court records cost $0.50 per page. You order them from the county court clerk that holds the case file. A certified copy is the authoritative version of a document and is useful when you need to prove the disposition of a case, for example, showing that an eviction filing was dismissed or resolved in the tenant's favor rather than ending in a judgment.
Related New Mexico Landlord Guides
Court portal information sourced from the New Mexico court administrative office official website. Expungement laws from published New Mexico statutes (see citations above). Last updated August 28, 2026. For informational purposes only, not legal advice.